Preserving America's Spirit: The Liberty Disaster Fund

Life in America changed forever on the morning of September 11, 2001. What has taken place is extraordinary, and we must respond in an extraordinary way. The generous financial and in-kind assistance that the American Red Cross is receiving from individuals, companies, foundations and others across this great land must be handled with utmost openness and integrity.

For this reason, we have created a special fund, The Liberty Disaster Fund. This is a designated disaster relief fund separate and distinct from the domestic Disaster Relief Fund and the International Relief Fund. The Liberty Disaster Fund will support the immediate and emerging efforts of the American Red Cross to alleviate human suffering brought on by the attacks of September 11. All donations received since September 11, 2001 will be placed in this disaster relief fund.

Why a new fund? For many reasons. This is a disaster unlike any other in U.S. history. This is not a "regional" disaster; it is not only about the hideous events that occurred in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. Rather this is a disaster that affects our entire nation, at this time and as we look ahead. The work of the American Red Cross in the aftermath and as a consequence of September 11 will not just be about supporting "disaster relief services for victims of this and other disasters."

Rather, the Liberty Disaster Fund will support an integrated response that involves virtually all of our lines of service, and all of our existing and new responsibilities under our Charter and the attending statutory obligations. It will include our traditional disaster services expanded into new programs of aid never before required. It will be about further development of our existing plans related to Weapons of Mass Destruction. It will be about the management of an enormous outpouring of blood donations and the creation of a strategic blood reserve. It will be about all of us and every chapter, Blood Services region and Armed Forces Emergency Services station participating in grief and healing in communities throughout America. It will be about reaffirming and promoting the Fundamental Principles of our International Movement through public awareness building and education at the community level, and reaching out to all people regardless of heritage or religion.

And our work under the Liberty Disaster Fund will be about our Armed Forces Emergency Services efforts on behalf of families and service men and women in the context of military activation and response. We may also be facing possible wartime casualties, and we must have a Red Cross in full support of our military everywhere and in support of our obligations as an auxiliary to the U.S. government under the Geneva Conventions.

The American public is contributing generously to the American Red Cross. We have an obligation to be fully accountable and to fully disclose to donors and those we serve precisely how we are responding and how their contributions will be used. We will ensure that all financial and in-kind assistance entrusted to us will be impeccably managed and reported, tracked, properly acknowledged and used for the intended purposes. Stringent accounting measures have been implemented.